Automatic air and gas check valve



March 1 1927.

J. M. FOTCH.

AUTOMATIC AIR AND GAS CHECK VALVE Filed Nov. 22. 1924 lzgglllfllllll/llll JOA M12562; n I Zia;

latented Mar. 1,1927. Q N Z i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

JOHN M. FOTCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC AIR. ANDGASCI-IECK VALVE:

Application filed. November 22., 1924-. Serial -No. 75-1,,592'.

This invention relates to a, novel automatic Fig. 3 is a. view similar to. Fig. 2 but 55 air and gas check valve and vent parshowing the vent valveopen,asdistinguished ticularly adapted for refrigerators' and the fromv the closed position; shown in Fig.2.

like. Figs. 4: and 5 are transverse horizontal 5 It is a well-known. fact that meats, fish, sectionalviews taken on the section lines vegetables, fruits, and many other foods, 4% and 5 5 of Fig. 2, and, 60

generate and give off certain gases,.therefore, Fig. 6 is. a fragmentary detail perspective when such foods are stored in refrigerators view of the lower end of thevent. or ice boxes contai ng other gas absorbing In the drawings, in which like reference 10 foods, the latter will be contaminated. In characters designate corresponding parts other words, the gases from certain foods throughout the several views, 2 represents 65 naturally contaminate other foods contained a flanged casing or tube formed of tin or in. the refrigerator or ice box and destroy any other material which fits snugly within the; original flavor if not. the substance of the walls of the refrigerator 1', preferably the same: when stored; together. However, centrallyv atthe top, 01 any o h r suitab e owing to the fact that thesegases are lighter position, and is permanently held in place 7 than air, they always rise to the top of the by means of nails, screws, or the like 3. refrigerator or ice box, therefore, a means The said tube is intended to receive acasing of escape or vent should be provided at or or b f s aller diame i h P je ts near the top of the, refrigerator or ice box slightly above the refrigerator wall or top,

to; permit them to escape and thus avoid and is provided at its upper t ith 75 the absorption of the same by the foods concular flang 5 in he fo m O an in e nal .111- tained therein. 7 nular flange preferably of gular r ss sec-- The object of this invention is to provide tion, whichisrigidlyafiixed to the inner side a means for ermitting gases, and other imof the tube and forms a seat for a disc or purities generated by meats, fish, vegetables, valve 6, having openings or apertures 6 fruits andother food products to escape therein. The disc or valve 6. is intended. to through a vent or outlet and thus prevent close an aperture 7 in the flange when the the absorption of these gases by the food disc is drawn downwardly by the suction or or contentsof the refrigerator or ice box. vacuum created in the refrigerator;- by the A further object is to provide the vent opening of the refrigerator doors or door. with a balanced valve, the normal position The disc 6 is secured vto a vertical rod 8, of which isopen, to permit gases to escape the lower end of which is affixed to, a pivotfrom the refrigerator or ice box, and; also ed weight 9 as shown at 10, said weight 35 to automatically close the valve when suc- 9 being pivotally secured to the tube 4! as tion is created within the refrigerator, or shown at 11 and rests against a stop 12 ice box, by the opening of either of the doors when the valve is in its open or normal thereof, so as to prevent-any gases or imposition. pure air which may lurk in the room or It wlll be noted that when the valve is 40 surroundings in which the refrigerator or inthela-tter position,,t he gases are permitted .ice box is located from being sucked into to pass through the-131110. 4v and out through th same, f the aperture 7 thus'venting the refrigerator With the above and other objects in view, or ermitting the gases to escape and keeptheinvention consists of certain novel coming the refrigerator properly ventilated with I l 45 binations and arrangements of parts to be only fresh, pure anl sanltary air present hereinafter more fully described and claimed. therein and preventing the food fr m be- In the. accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is coming contaminated by the undesirable a front elevation partly broken away showgases produced by, the food in the refrigeraing my improved vent. or automatic air and tor. It Wl-ll be appreciated that if the vent 50 gas check valve applied to a refrigerator or tube 4: was not provided with a valve for autoice box. matically closing the aperture 7, undesirable Fig. 2; is an enlarged sectional view showgases, or smoke, soot and dust would be ing the wall of the refrigerator with the sucked through the tube 4. whenever it bedevice applied and in section. came necessary to open the refrigerator door to remove or or for other therein.

In order to permit the tube 4 to be readily removed when itis necessary to clean the same or the refrigerator, the said tube 4 is provided with an annular recess 13, which is intended to receive an annular rubber or like washer 14:, the purpose of which is to hold the tube 4 in place by means of friction. As shown, two of such washers are employed near the top and bottom portions of the tubes or upper and lower 'ends thereof. These washers serve to form an airtight joint between the outer tube 2 and the inner tube 4. The lower end of the latter tube is provided with a lug 15, which has an aperture 16 intended to receive a hook which permits the removal of the inner tube 4 from the outer tube 2 whenever it becomes necessary or desirable to remove it. It is obvious from the construction shown that the inner tube 4 can be readily placed within the outer tube 2 by simply forcing the same in an upward direction until the same is flushed with the inner tube wall of the refrigerator. It is also desirable to provide the upper and lower ends of the tube 4 with screened covers or discs 17 and 18 for the purpose of preventing foreign matter, flies, etc. from entering the same, thereby keeping the tube clean and insuring proper operation of the device as well as insuring cleanliness and sanitary condition within the refrigerator. By this means, the food is also protected.

While I have described the form of my invention which I now consider to constitute the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope thereof so long as the same is defined by the device as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A vent of the class described comprising a tube, a seat near the top of the tube, a disc cooperating with said seat, a weight pivoted in the tube, a connecting rod extending from the disc to one arm of the pivoted weight, a means for limiting the movement of the weight.

2. In an automatic air and gas check valve of the class described, a tube, an apertured seat mounted near the upper end of the tube, a disc co-operating with said apertured seat, a weight pivoted intermediately nearthe lower end of the tube and within the same, one arm of the weight being con nected to the disc, and a stop to limit the downward movement of the weight.

3. An automatic air and gas check valve comprising a tube, screens at the top and bottom ends of the tube, an apertured flanged seat near the top endof the tube,

place food in the refrigerator purposes, such as placing ice a disc co-operating with said seat, a weight pivoted intermediately in the tube near the bottom thereof, a rod connecting one arm of the weight centrally to the disc, and a pin mounted beneath the weighted end of the weight arm to limit the downward movement thereof.

4. In an automatic air and gas check valve for venting refrigerators and the like, an outer tube having a flange for securing the same snugly within the wall of the re frigerator, an inner tube, air-tight connections between the inner and outer tubes, a seat near the top of the inner tube having an aperture therein, a disc co-operating with said seat, a rod secured to the disc and depending therefrom in the tube, a weighted member pivoted in the tube near the lower end thereof and having an unweighted end connected to the lower end of the rod, the weighted end being adaptedto move downwardly, and a stop to limit the downward movement of the weighted end.

5. In a vent or automatic air and gas check for refrigerators or the like, the com bination with the wall thereof having an opening, of a tube snugly fitting in said opening and having a flange secured thereto at the bottom, an inner tube secured within the outer tube, rubber washers mounted in grooves in the inner tube and frictionally engaging the outer tube to secure the inner tube within the outer tube and form airtight connections therebetween, said inner tube projecting above the outer tube, a flanged apertured seat in the projecting end of the inner tube, a disc co-operating with said seat, a weight pivoted in the inner tube near the lower end thereof, one arm of the weight being connected to the lower end of the rod whereby when the weighted end moves outwardly, the disc will be raised, said disc having openings therein to permit the escape of the impure air within the refrigerator through said tubes, a stop limiting the downward movement of the weight and opening of the disc, and an apertured lug projecting from'the inner tube to permit removal thereof.

6. In a vent for refrigerators, an outer tube adapted to be mounted in the wall of a refrigerator, an inner tube mounted therein, washers frictionally retaining the inner tube within the outer tube air-tight connection in space therebetween, means at the lower end of the inner tube for removing the same from the outer tube, and a weight operated valve mounted in the inner tube, said valve being normally open and adapted to be closed by the opening of a refrigerator door due to the suction created therein. I

7. A vent for the purpose described, comprising a casing, one end of which is open to the atmosphere outside of-the, refrigerand forming an ator, and the other end to the interior thereof, an apertured seat fixed within said casing near one end thereof, and a normally opened balanced disc co-operating with said apertnred seat, for Closing the end of the casing open to the atmosphere outside of the refrigerator, whenever suction is created within the refrigerator by the opening of the doors thereof.

8. In a vent or automatically operated air and gas check for refrigerators or the like, the combination with the wall thereof, having an opening, of a casing snugly fitting in said opening, and having a flanged end,

15 an inner casing removab ly secured within the outer casing, a compressible washer affixed to the exterior of the inner casing for frictional engagement with the outer casing to secure the inner casing within the outer casing and form air tight connections there-between, an apertured seat fixed within the inner casing near one end thereof and a normally open balanced disc co-operating with said apertured seat, for closing the end of the casing open to the atmosphere outside of the refrigerator, whenever suction is created within the refrigerator by the opening of the doors thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN M. FOTGH. 

